Besigye lawyers seek Gen Muhoozi WhatsApp number to serve him court papers

Lawyers representing opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajji Obeid Lutale, have appealed to the public for Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s WhatsApp number so they can serve him with court papers.

The lawyers say they have struggled to locate the CDF since Thursday and been ignored by soldiers at his office. They appealed to the General’s associates including Hon David Kabanda and Minister Balaam Barugahara to help provide them with his WhatsApp contact.

The appeal follows a High Court order directing Gen Muhoozi, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe, Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga and the Attorney General to file their defence in a human rights enforcement petition lodged by Besigye and Lutale.

Justice Emmanuel Baguma issued the order on Thursday and gave the respondents seven days to respond.

Lawyer Erias Lukwago said the legal team successfully served the Attorney General on Friday and received an acknowledgement of the documents.

They are also still waiting serve Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga, who are reportedly detained at the Mbuya Military Barracks.

“Now there’s three more pending. Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga are currently imprisoned and need to get clearance from the Prison Services to appear in court. We understand that they are detained at Mbuya Military Barracks. We are still trying to confirm that, and once we do, we shall follow the laws that guide how to serve court summons to prisoners,” Lukwago said.

Eron Kiiza, another defense lawyer in the case said locating and serving Gen Muhoozi had proved difficult.

“The hardest task has been locating the CDF. We have searched for him in all places we expect him, but cannot find him. We have hired licensed process servers to deliver the court summons to Muhoozi’s office, but the people there refused to receive them because they have that element of military arrogance,” Kiiza said.

The lawyers have now resorted to using WhatsApp to serve the general since courts had previously allowed people to be served through WhatsApp or newspaper notices.

“ That is why we are appealing to the public: whoever has Gen Muhoozi’s WhatsApp number should give it to us,” he said.

“We are calling on Gen Muhoozi’s associates, such as Hon David Kabanda, Minister Balaam Barugahara and those around him, to give us his WhatsApp number.”

The human rights petition accuses Gen Muhoozi, military intelligence officers and the Attorney General of violating the constitutional rights of Besigye and Lutale.

The applicants cite social media posts allegedly made by Gen Muhoozi, including one that stated: “We will hang KB on Heroes’ Day. That’s the best day for him to die.”

Their lawyers argue that the statements undermine the presumption of innocence, interfere with the right to a fair hearing and amount to psychological torture.

Besigye and Lutale also accuse security agencies of abducting them from Nairobi, Kenya, and unlawfully transferring them to Uganda. They further challenge their initial prosecution before the General Court Martial, citing a Supreme Court ruling that barred the military trial of civilians.

The matter arose after the treason and misprision of treason case against Besigye, Lutale and Capt Denis Oola failed to proceed on Thursday. Only Capt Oola appeared in court.

Justice Baguma adjourned the case to June 30 and issued production warrants for Besigye and Lutale.